Re: stopping MTX

[Guest guest]

I don't know if it will help you, but my doctor put me on Colchicine for the

swelling. My knees would swell to the point I didn't have any slack in my

jeans, and normal was about 2 " of room. It's primarily a gout medicine, as I

understand it. Maybe it can help you.

Dennis

[ ] UG stopping mtx

> Yikes, due to so much going on around here I forgot to take my mtx. I

cannot believe I forgot, but- I did, and I did not want to switch what day I

took it so I skipped it once I relaized I forgot to take it. YIKES It took

awhile for it to help, but gosh it stoppped helping FAST. I had forgotten

just how miserable I had been before. (I do not believe I could have

forgotten that, either)

> I did notice, however that while I have LOTS more pain and swelling, I

also have LOTS more awake time and less fatigue- at least for the moment---

> Now I am wondering gosh- do I live with the pain and swelling or go with

the less awake time and more energy?

> Hubby and kids voted for less pain, I guess they remember betetr than me

just how awful it was for me before. Hubby thinks maybe it is like

childbirth pain, I quickly forgot just HOW awful it was.

[Guest guest]

I had a rheummie that kept me on MTX injections and pills totally ignoring

my complaints about the side effects. He would just throw another pill at the

side effects...He keep telling your labs look wonderful....keep taking your

meds. Finally after weeks lead into months of side effects: diarrhea,

vomiting, headaches, mouth sores, eye sores, throat sores, dizziness, severe

fatigue

and I was basically sleeping on the bathroom floor. He finally decided I

need Leucovorin. That was going to be the magic pill to make all the side

effects go away. It did not help. I finally developed a horrible cough that

would

not go away. I could not talk and it was to the point that I had to decide to

either eat, drink or breath....I finally went to my family doc who

immediately recognized the symptoms as drug induced pneumonitis. I was lucky as

there

was not permanent damage to my lungs...but I was pissed with the rheummy.

From that point forward I followed my feelings about my treatment plan. If

I drug had too many side effects I will refuse to take it. No doc is going to

make me take a drug where the side effects are worst that the disease that

its suppose to help!!!

Since that horrible rheummy I have changed docs many times. I have one that

seems to be good...however he is starting to get pushy with wanting me on

Humira which I refuse to take ever again due to injection reactions. He feels

that Enbrel will not work if it did not work the first time. I am currently on

Arava and will start plaquinil again as soon as I get an eye exam. I am

currently have flares that start about 10-20 days after finishing a steriod

burst. I am back on steriods once again.

I started 20mg a day for five days then step down by 5mg every 5 days till I

get to 5 mgs. Then I stay on 5mgs of 10 days and then I can stop them

completely. This seems to really work. My rheummy wanted me to start at 30 mgs

but

I can not handle that high a dosage. It makes me very cranky and difficult to

deal with.

Follow your mind

Toni

************************************** See what's new at http://www.aol.com